MOOC 1
Innovative methods to assess the distribution of marine ecosystems
This one is the first course of the pathway to sustainable marine ecosystems in the context of climate change.
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Module Breakdown
Módulo 0. Introduction to the course
Módulo 1. Introduction to marine ecosystems
Módulo 2. Marine ecosystems characterization
Módulo 3. Functions, services and benefits of marine ecosystems
Módulo 4. Direct approaches to characterise the distribution of ecosystems
Módulo 5. Indirect approaches to characterise the distribution of ecosystems
SUMMARY
This MOOC provides a broad overview of the different methods for studying marine ecosystems but mainly focused on coastal areas. The course’s main objective is for students to learn about the most representative coastal ecosystems, their characteristics, functions, and services, and the approaches currently used to analyze their distribution.
It is organized into four modules, which begin with a description of the main characteristics of some of the most emblematic coastal ecosystems. This one is the focus of module 1.
The second module addresses two fundamental issues. The first concerns the analysis of diversity in these ecosystems, considering different meanings of this broad concept. Secondly, some aspects related to ecosystems’ spatial and temporal distribution and their component species will be analyzed.
The third module focuses on ecosystem services, an emerging concept applied to the study of coastal ecosystems in recent decades, following its definition in the United Nations Millennium Ecosystem Assessment in 2005. Concepts, classifications, and quantification methods are some of the contents in this section.
Finally, taking into account the knowledge acquired in the previous sections, the last two modules will be devoted to explaining and applying real cases of different methods available today to characterize these ecosystems. Following the objective of the MOOC, we will focus mainly on the most innovative methods used in the analysis of the past as a tool to predict the future of these ecosystems in different scenarios. This one is the first course of the pathway to sustainable marine ecosystems in the context of climate change.